England’s rise to the quarter-final of this tournament is no miracle, neither is it magic. The Three Lions are beginning to reap the benefits of lowered expectations, which they have not had in years.

Most often, players are under huge pressure to perform, however, this current team have been spared of that, with such pressure taken off their shoulders.

It is the reason why young players like Kieran Trippier, Jese Lingard and John Stones have been playing so well in the starting XI. The lowered expectation could turn out to be an advantage to the Three Lions in the end.

2. A lucky draw

When England lost to Belgium and subsequently finished second in their group, many immediately predicted doom for the Three Lions. However, it has turned out to be the perfect draw for England, who now face a winnable path to the final.

By defeating Colombia in the round of 16, the Three Lions have now set up a quarter-final date with Sweden, after which a potential semi-final showdown with either Croatia or Russia awaits.

In truth, these are fair fixtures for England and they should be able to get past each of the aforementioned teams. The final may be tougher but this is football and once that river is reached, surely there will be a way to cross it.

Surely, Harry Kane will walk away from Russia with the World Cup Golden Boot firmly in his hands. The Tottenham Hotspur striker has been in imperious form for England, scoring six goals already.

Forget about the rhetoric that most of Kane’s goals have been penalties. The fact is that he is England’s go-to man and his impact is what he brought them this far.

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If Kane should continue with his current lethal form, then there is no reason why England cannot win the trophy because they are guaranteed goals upfront.

4. Most of the big teams have been eliminated

Prior to the start of the World Cup, anybody would have been out of his mind to predict that England would make it to the final, let alone win it.

However, everything seems to have worked perfectly for the Three Lions from the group stages till now. With the likes of Germany, Spain, Portugal and Argentina already eliminated, it presents England with a bigger chance of winning the trophy.

Perhaps, Belgium, Brazil and Croatia are the only teams to stand in their way, but England have the required to quality to hold their own against the aforementioned teams.